January 28


Acts 7:54-8:40

This is our last day in the New American Standard Bible for this week. We return to the Church Stream in the book of Acts and we’ll read Acts 7:54-8:40. Last week we left off in the middle of Stephen’s rousing sermon in front of the High Council. We will conclude Stephen’s story.

Prayer

Lord God, the wonders you bring to us never cease.  Teach us your way oh Lord – teach us your way.  Those who walk in your way, change the world; your world.  So use us in power and in mighty ways.  This is our prayer in Jesus.  Amen.

Stephen has just finished “the speech” that cut the leaders to the quick.  They had called Stephen in for questioning with intent to harm and when the brilliance he laid forth made it quite obvious that those judging here were indeed the guilty ones, they were desperate for distraction, to shift blame and guilt, to have the source of this wisdom rubbed out v.s. abide by this wisdom and adjust their entire mindsets along with their mode of operation.  They thought they could find fault in Stephen claiming he wasn’t honoring Moses.  Yet Stephen revealed that the Sanhedrin were under condemnation for their callous attitude toward Moses’ Law, Christ’s sacrifice, The Holy Spirit, decency, justice, greed, mismanagement, cruelty … you get the message.

Acts 7

7:54ff – So the leaders are out of their minds by now and enraged at Stephen.  They are furious, gnashing their teeth, yelling at the top of their voices and rushing upon Stephen.  Do you realize how crazed these Sanhedrin; including the High Priest were?  They never do these four things! [tantrums, gnashing, yelling, running]  This skit has gone out of control.  And they aren’t angry because Stephen is lying.  If he were, they would dismiss him as a lunatic.  They are acting like maniacal Satanists because Stephen has told the truth about them!  So they kill Stephen outside the city walls.   And Stephen’s behavior while being killed is … again, angelic.

Acts 8

8 –  Rabbi Saul watched and approved of the entire development as if to be the assigned executioner.  Saul hated this breakaway faith; this deluded sect of people who exalted Jesus to god-like status.  He saw need to root out all who put faith in Jesus and finish them off.  It was time to end this “Jesus movement” permanently.  So house to house raids were done and imprisonment was their lot.  All other Christians scattered though the Apostles were not so easily bullied.  Philip went north to a city in Samaria (it is described as “down” for it was quite a drop in elevation) and went on a ministry spree that had the countryside in awe.  He did the “greater things” that Jesus said would be done: healing, teaching, and casting out evil spirits.  Simon-the-Sorcerer was an arrogant man who had been a magician in the area, likely paid well, and was a huckster.  Philip’s arrival and activity in the town brought a sudden change to countless people as well as Simon who believed and was baptized with others.  We all know that conversion is followed by sanctification and the life process of maturing and growing, ever confessing and allowing one’s self to be corrected.  So Simon changes enough but soon encounters his own residue from his dark past.  He is totally enamored by Philip’s power in the Holy Spirit, covets it for himself, and offers to pay so he can have the Holy Spirit’s power for himself to exercise.  He thought that the laying on hands procedure and receiving God’s power was a commodity that was to be purchased.  This was what he knew.  The newly arrived Peter rebukes Simon sternly for his trespass in thinking God was for sale.   And Simon receives the correction.  He doesn’t “go away sad” like the rich young ruler did when Jesus explained what was required of him.  The memo to Simon is the memo to the church and the world for all history: anyone may join the kingdom of God, but know that all who do must allow transformation to take place in their soul.  For we must do things God’s way and not be deceived in thinking we are going to do God’s things our way.  Never.  So we’ve seen Stephen martyred, the church at Jerusalem persecuted, Philip ministering in Samaria, and we finished our reading with Philip evangelizing the Ethiopian.  This man was prominent in his country of the upper Nile (south of Egypt).  It is a marvel how God so precisely directs Philip.  Philip is a yielded man, and God directs those who listen to His voice intently.  So he is taken straight to what Believers would call “ripe fruit”.  The Ethiopian is reading Isaiah 53 and wants to understand it.  Philip is there to explain Jesus to him, the Ethiopian believe and God provides for a baptism.  Philip is then carried away instantly by the Lord Himself.  The Ethiopian resumed his journey-turned-joyful of roughly 2,000 miles back to his home!  Philip appears next in Azotus (Roman name for Ashdod) and in this campaign preaches in every town for a 60 mile stretch up the coast to Caesarea.  That is the last we hear of Philip in our Bible as the focus shifts to Saul->Paul and Peter.  Philip was later in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria according to “The Acts of Philip” written in Eusebius’ day.  Phrygia was a region near the center of Asia Minor.  Word is that Philip’s ministry was powerful and marked by many signs and wonders.  This resulted in the conversion of the wife of the proconsul of Hierapolis.  (Hierapolis is due east of Ephesus.)  But the proconsul was angered by this and ordered Philip to be crucified in the spring of 54 A.D.  Legend says that he kept at his effectual preaching, even while dying upside down!  Not even this kept him from the love of God that he had for Christ his Savior.  

Week 4 Thread – Your Lot in Life

A lot went on this week.  During Genesis 13-17, remember that phrase about something being your “lot in life”.  Well things start out and there is a “Lot” in Abraham’s life – and the pickle is that Abraham’s “Lot” is a relative – and we know that relatives don’t go away.  Abraham must endure this character. (Forgive the play on words, if you will!)  First they need to separate and then Abraham needs to re-engage and battle to save this Lot relative of his.  It’s certainly a test of endurance. There is a very memorable event when God makes His Covenant with Abraham.  There’s the Hagar/Ishmael event, agonizing as it is, and then Abraham is to be circumcized … at his age!  Yes, this is a deal-breaker without negotiation.  So much goes on and it all must be endured.

Joshua 16-20 shows the allotment that is to go to each tribe, to Joshua, and to refugees.  It’s what God has ordained to happen.  This too is their lot.  The contrast is that this ‘lot’ for each of them is to be embraced and enjoyed v.s. endured.

Job 15-17 finds us witnessing Job enduring more prattle as Eliphaz delivers his condescending critique upon him.  Job is going to hang on and get through this!

Isaiah 11-14 starts with another illustration of what the Bible is all about; the arrival of The Servant with the Spirit of the LORD upon him.  He is coming … in 750 years, mind you.  Until then there will be much to endure.  And in the meantime God is going to remove the threats of Assyria, Babylon, Philisita.  Israel will endure.  He prophesies against all the garish threats to Israel.  They’ll get through it.

Daniel 3 brought us a most salient story.  Our three friends here, like us, are born to worship God; not idols.  Yet their world commands the opposite of them, like it does to us.  I guarantee that none of them are thinking, “refusing idols gets us burned alive? Cool!”  Their emotional rush from every angle as they walked through this task is something that will keep us conversing until the end of time.  Were they afraid? -even in the least?  They were to endure this.  They did and they got through it.

Matthew 9-10 Jesus heals a paralytic that has the local teachers and Jesus trading rebukes. Matthew is called into ministry.  More workers are needed.  The 12 are sent out on a very eye-opening assignment.  They are to be full of God’s Word and void of all other securities.  The results will stun them.  Jesus has some epic teaching for them to send them out with.  This is all a stern assignment.  What was going to happen? Matthew had to wonder where this all would lead to.  As Jesus says to us daily, “just come along, you will have grace to endure and be blessed.”

Acts 7:54 – 8:40  Here’s a new thing.  Remember Ananias/Saphira who were killed for being duplicitous?  Well Stephen here is martyred for being whole-heartedly committed to our Savior.  That is a switch on matters!  Stephen endures this fate and is blessed even as he perishes.  It’s a horrid development that merely invigorates the church; fertilizing it for even more explosive growth and starts its global expansion that will endure all centuries.  The healing and evangelism spree continues.  And enroute we learn that sorcery is never blessed and that blessing cannot be bought.  As the church; (those called of God) adhere to all these truthes, they will be an institution that takes deep root as the Kingdom of God’s visible agent and they will endure.  Yes, our lot is a blessed one.

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